I am quite happy with my experiences of visiting Buddhist temples in India and Thailand, and the museums there with Buddhist art and religious objects. I passed so many exquisite statures of Buddha, he became alive to me. Inside of me and outside of me.
More so, I was very happy with my experience of stumbling into the week long Kalichakra ceremony in Sarnarth when close to a million aspirants from from Tibet and Nepal descended on vast field for the week long ceremony. Watching, hearing, interacting and literally becoming one with* this crowd was a wonderful experience. I was touched by and awakened to many things by them. Some these pilgrims are the most gentle, kind, devoted people that I have ever had the good fortune to meet and see. And circling the stupas in Sarnarth at the place of Buddhas first teaching was quite special for me. Bicycling out in the country and visiting 10 Buddhist temples, some very simple and elegant in their starkness, around Chaing Mai was a great day in my life. As was seeing some half constructed new monuments -- where a 200-300 foot of stone had a half carved Buddha at the top, as if emerging from a cave of rock. Exquisite visual metaphor. And the many young Buddhist monks in Thailand are a healing sight for poor and weary western eyes. I love that there a culture, even in this modern age, that encourages ALL of the young to take 1-3 years of monastic life -- before entering into their worldly professions (or continuing as monks.) And jack Keroeuc' s Dharma Bums is a classic IMO -- a western beatish life interpretation and adaptation of living the Dharma. And the sandpainting ceremony has become a powerful and elegant metaphor in my life. While I know little of Buddhist practices or organizations, when I pick up a book or scan an article, I am amazed and thrilled by the depth and subtlety of experience expressed. And expressions so unique and fresh relative to my background. Descending from the heights of Darjerling -- in a cab with bald tires passing Buddhist temples alive with colors and flags on a windy day, perched on steep moutain sides just below the mountain slope tea plantations was breath taking -- or breath fulling. The few short interviews that i have seen from DL have given me insights not present before. As much as anything, the 4-5 Tibetian Buddhist equisitly detailed and beautiful mandalas and paintings of Tibetian gods and godesses that I have are daily reminders of the hugely rich and varied culture that Buddhism has enlivened. And MMY -- someone I understand that you respect -- was a large admirer of Buddha -- as I experienced in my slices of time with him. A fully western colleague of japanese descent died suddenly -- and I attended his funeral. It was a Buddhist service and was wonderful. The chanting monks were to me, the same as the chanting hindu pundits that I have had the honor to hear on three continents. And the incense, art, and ceremony were signs of a deeply integrated culture. So yes, Buddha and Buddhism has touched my life in elegant, wonderful and mystical ways -- though I have hardly touched the surface and am hardly a Buddhist, nor learned in Buddhist ways or methods. I love all world cultures and the seeds, branches, sometimes only faint smells, of infinity running through them. What has been your experiences with Buddha, Buddhism, and Buddhist cultures? *in line to see the sand painting, the crowd became one, no one could move by thier own volition, one just had to go with the flow. While getting crushed was a possibility (and not something I anticipated when stepping into the line) it was a wonderful and humbling experience.) --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@...> wrote: > > Blindness doesn't work either tart. > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, tartbrain <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "whynotnow7" <whynotnow7@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Vaj's MO is to always keep the focus on Maharishi's relatively minor > > > > failings vs. having us notice the 400 pound gorilla in the room. OK, > > > > Maharishi had girlfriends and did other unethical things. Granted. > > > > > > > > On the other hand, THE DALAI LAMA SOLD OUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY OF TIBET. > > > > First he lost the country to China, then ran away as his countrymen and > > > > fellow monks were systematically tortured, imprisoned, and slaughtered, > > > > on the pretext of "fighting for a free Tibet" (from a distance, of > > > > course). That was over FIFTY YEARS AGO.I don't see Tibet getting any > > > > freer in the meantime, do you? In fact just the reverse. By continually > > > > agitating for rebellion, all the Dalai Lama has done is bring > > > > increasing hardships to his former people and ensure that the Chinese > > > > continue to crack down HARD on the Tibetan region. > > > > > > > > From a review of Tim Johnson's new book, Tragedy In Crimson (Nation > > > > Books ISBN1568586019): > > > > "Tibet's exiled leader, the Dalai Lama, is a global moral figure but > > > > with a tragic dimension he captures worldwide fame and brings > > > > Hollywood figures to his side, but can do little to end six decades of > > > > repression against six million Tibetans living under Chinese rule." > > > > > > > > It is clear by now that Tibet will never be free. This is a monstrous > > > > and huge injustice by the Dalai Lama. However if Vaj can continue to > > > > turn our attention away from the millions slaughtered in Tibet as the > > > > result of the DL's misguided intentions and focus instead on how "TM > > > > doesn't work" and "Maharishi charges too much for meditation", he is > > > > accomplishing what he set out to do here on FFL and other forums. Don't > > > > look at poor, miserable, downright fucked Tibet. Instead focus all that > > > > misplaced anger and frustration on on MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI. Yeah, > > > > that's the ticket! > > > > > > > > Vaj is a fraud and a liar. The guy never learned, practiced or taught > > > > TM. He has learned though how to build a fantastically distracting > > > > story about Maharishi and TM, attempting to mask Tibet's destruction as > > > > a result of the egomaniacal intentions of his hero, the Dalai Lama. > > > > Sorry Vaj, but WE SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU AND THAT KALI YUGA "MR. NICE > > > > GUY". Oh, and as Maharishi used to say, JAI GURU DEV. > > > > > > > > > That's an interesting analysis. > > > Everyone knows that the 2 most fanatic critics of Maharishi and the TMO, > > > Turq and Vaj are both so-called Buddhists, which is hardly a coincidence. > > > > > > > Intolerance of other religions and POVs is not the hallmark of spirituality > > that I aspire to or seek. > > >
